The Christian media, particularly radio, in Canada is expanding, serving as a new alternative to the secular media, reports the Canadian evangelical magazine Faith Today (May/June).
“Whether it be radio, television, print or web, new Christian alternatives are popping up quicker than ever before and non-Christian audiences appear to be growing. In radio alone, more than 30 Christian stations have grown from a handful seven years ago,” writes Gail Reid.
While the U.S. dwarfs Canada with a vast network of Christian stations, the alternative function played by these new stations may be significant. These new Christian — largely evangelical — stations place a greater priority on providing a distinctly Christian perspective on current events and promoting a Christian lifestyle rather than on evangelism, especially as secular stations, such as the Canadian Broadcasting Company, are perceived as taking a more explicitly secular and anti-Christian slant (a survey of evangelicals featured in the article found that about 70 percent say the media in Canada rarely portrays Christians with fairness).
Another factor in the growth of these stations is that southern gospel music has become increasingly popular in Canada. With the growth of Internet and satellite technology, the article concludes that Christian radio in Canada has entered a new phase of maturity, “to the point that some…stations are actually focusing on gaining audience from their mainstream rivals.”
(Faith Today, M.I.P. Box 3745, Markham, ON L3R 0Y4)